


Cha-Cha Real Smooth

by owlinaminor



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, dance class
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-19
Updated: 2014-12-19
Packaged: 2018-03-02 06:36:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2803028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/owlinaminor/pseuds/owlinaminor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Junior and senior gym classes meet every other day for the duration of the school year.  That means gym ninety classes, total.  Ninety periods of forty-five minutes that Annabeth has to deal with Percy Jackson.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cha-Cha Real Smooth

**Author's Note:**

> this fic was written as a holiday present for my friend renee, who is in my gym class at school. (the class is dance - what a surprise. there are no obnoxious boys in our class, thankfully.)

**day one.**

For the first time in her life, Annabeth Chase is looking forward to gym class.

She’s hated it for all of elementary and middle schools and most of high school – hated the teachers who stood and shouted instead of actively participating, hated the obsession with team sports that value only brute force and shouting, and, most of all, hated the boys who believed in the doctrine of all girls have cooties, all girls suck at sports, all girls should stand on the sidelines and cheer.  (Not that she has anything against cheerleading, but – girls can do so much more.)

But this year, Annabeth is sure it’s going to be different.  This year, as a senior, she got to choose her gym class, and she chose Dance.  Dance is taught by Ms. Venus, one of the most laid-back teachers in the department.  Its activities mostly consist of stepping back and forth in time to music.  And, best of all, no boys ever sign up.

Annabeth goes to the gym fifth on the first day of school, expecting the regular lecture on remembering to bring gym clothes, locker room conduct, and so on, followed by sessions with the teachers of individual classes.  But when the group of period five gym students splits up, Annabeth is surprised to find that the demographics of the Dance class aren’t quite what she was expecting.

“Percy Jackson, what the hell are you doing here?”

The idiot gives her a crooked grin, and she’d swear that half the girls in the class swoon.  “I’m just going to meet my gym class.”

“Right.”  Annabeth raises an eyebrow.  “Are you sure you’re in the right class?”

“Yeah, pretty sure.”

“You’re not supposed to be in, like, Group Games, or something?”

“Nope.”

“ _Why_?”

“Well, I seem to remember _someone_ telling me that I couldn’t dance to save my life.  So, here I am.” Percy does a little twirl.  “Saving my life.”

Annabeth sighs.  This is going to be a long year.

* * *

  **day two.**

“So, the first dance we’re going to learn is the Cha-Cha,” Ms. Venus says.

She instructs the class to get in a circle so that she can start teaching the basic steps, but one specific class member is apparently incapable of following directions.

“Percy, what are you doing?” Annabeth demands.

“I’m doing the cha-cha,” he replies.  He moves forwards and backwards, crossing and uncrossing his arms and shaking his hips like an old woman having a seizure.  “Cha-cha real smooth!”

“I’m pretty sure that’s not how you’re supposed to do it.”

“Oh, yeah?”  Percy stops cha-chaing for a second to raise an eyebrow at her.  “Then how _are_ you supposed to do it?”

Annabeth stares at him for a few seconds, then starts to cha-cha herself.  Her version isn’t much better, and Percy tells her so.

It takes the class fifteen minutes to start learning the actual cha-cha.

* * *

  **day ten.**

“And – rotate!”

Half of the class steps to the right, taking a new partner.  Nobody’s a particularly big fan of Ms. Venus’ insistence on constantly switching partners, but they’ve resigned themselves to it after a few classes.

Well, _most_ of them have.

The moment they switch, Annabeth’s hand shoots up faster than an alien spaceship in a hurry to leave Earth as soon as possible.  “Ms. Venus,” she says.

Ms. Venus sighs, already knowing what’s coming.  “Yes, Annabeth?”

“I can’t dance with _him_!” Annabeth exclaims.  “Let’s switch again.  Please?”

“Annabeth, I don’t want to have to tell you again,” Ms. Venus says, “everyone in this class has to dance with everyone else.  It’s part of the rules and expectations.  Please, dance with him, or I will be forced to lower your grade.”

Annabeth admits defeat and sullenly turns to face her partner, who sticks his tongue out at her.

“I’m a perfectly good dancer,” Percy informs her.  “Everyone says so.”

“You’re an idiot,” Annabeth replies.

“Wow, harsh.  You wound me.”

“That’s the dream.”

The music starts up, so Percy and Annabeth regretfully link hands and start dancing.  Nobody tells them that they have better connection together than with anyone else in the room.

* * *

  **day eighteen.**

One of the things Ms. Venus’ dance class is most famous for is Yoga Fridays.

Every other week, when gym class falls on a Friday, the class goes outside (if it’s warm out) or grabs mats and stays inside (if it isn’t) and Ms. Venus leads her students in a couple of sun salutations, some seated yoga, and, occasionally, attempts at more difficult poses.  Yoga Friday is supposed to be completely silent except for the voice of Ms. Venus calling out moves - it's a time for students to relax, forget their stresses, and just breathe.

Annabeth is not a senior in high school with college applications to finish and college tuition to somehow pay and the rest of her life to figure out.  Annabeth is a leaf, flying wherever the wind takes her.  Annabeth is happy.  Annabeth is free.  Annabeth is -

"Am I the only one who this whole meditation thing is completely pointless?"

\- going to murder Percy Jackson.

* * *

  **day forty-five.**

“Annabeth!  Annabeth, Annabeth, Annabeth!  Hey, Annabeth!”

The girl in question pulls one earbud out of her ear to scowl at Percy.  “I thought since we got a study hall today, I’d be free of you.”

Percy shakes his head, laughing at her.  “Like you’ll ever be free of me.  No, but for real,” he goes on, more serious, “I need help with the calc homework.  Please?”

Annabeth looks at him carefully.  Much as she hates dealing with Percy, he does seem pretty sincere, and they do have a hard test coming up.  Plus, she’s always up for demonstrating her academic superiority.

“Alright, fine,” she finally says.  “What are you having trouble with?”

“Well, I don’t really get this whole rectangle approximation thing.  Like, how do you know which RAM to use?  And if you don’t have a calculator, how do you use the formula?  And ...”

He ends up taking a seat next to Annabeth, and their heads stay bent together for the duration of the period – even after both of them finish their homework.

* * *

**day seventy-two.**

During second semester, each student in Ms. Venus’ class has to complete a project during which they teach the class some kind of new skill vaguely related to dance.  Lessons can range from ballet to pilates and everything in between, and most students are happy to practice their public speaking skills on their classes.

When it’s Percy’s turn to present, he’s more than just happy, if the wide grin on his face is anything to go by.  He gets up to the front of the class and says with his infamous crooked grin, “Hey, everyone, I’m Percy, and I’m going to be teaching you how to do a timeless dance: the Souja Boy.”

Annabeth audibly groans.

And yet, somehow, the dance actually isn't that terrible.  Percy's footwork isn't perfect, and he moves his arms way too much, but he’s enthusiastic, and he genuinely seems to want everyone to learn this ridiculous hip hop dance that was old ten years ago, and --

It hits her suddenly, like an avalanche on a sunny day: somehow, in between arguing with him and dancing with him, Annabeth has started to really like this idiot.

Well, shit.

* * *

**day seventy-four.**

For her project, Annabeth teaches tai chi.

It’s not something most American high school girls know, but she taught it to herself to help with the stress she was facing at the end of junior year.  (Four AP classes was, in retrospect, too much.)  She explains a brief history and spiritual basis of the calming martial art to her class, then gives them a demonstration of some basic moves, with the other students following along behind her.

It’s quiet in the room during the demonstration – too quiet, with no snide comments from the boy butchering every move in the back row.

Finally, after she’s done, Annabeth says something she usually tries to avoid in her presentations: “So, that’s it, any questions?”

Most of the students just shake their heads, but one hand goes up.

“I actually have one,” Percy says.  “And it’s a really good question, too.”

“Okay, then,” Annabeth replies.  “Ask it.”

“Okay.”  Percy takes a deep breath – then, suddenly, drops to one knee and pulls out a little blue dollar-store ring from his pocket.

“Annabeth Chase,” he says, looking directly into her eyes, the most sincere she’s ever seen him, “will you go to senior prom with me?”

The room is silent for a long time.  And not just ‘you could hear a pin drop’ silent, but _really_ silent, like ‘ _you could hear a fly fart_ ’ silent.  It seems as though the entire class is holding its breath. 

And then, finally, Annabeth answers.

“Took you a pretty long time to ask, didn’t it, idiot?”

Percy just grins.

* * *

**day ninety.**

On the last day of class, Percy steals Annabeth's yearbook.  She tells him to give it back, there's no point in writing a message when they're going to school in the same city and will see each other all the time.

But he just holds it above his head and sprints to the boys' locker room, laughing as she fails to catch him and stands in front of the door, glowering.

When he gives it back to her, there's a massive heart drawn on the inside cover, with PJ + AC written in blue sharpie.


End file.
